Komen backtracks on Planned Parenthood ban

Rep. Cliff Stearns, the Florida Republican heading up the congressional investigation that first sparked Komen’s decision earlier this week, noted that Planned Parenthood was able to raise$680,000 to make up for the Komen funding in 24 hours. Planned Parenthood announced Friday that it had raised $3 million in the three days after the de-funding decision was reported.

“Although I wasn’t involved in either decision, it is clear that Planned Parenthood does not need the Komen funding,” said Mr. Stearns in a statement. “I believe that Planned Parenthood could be, and should be, totally self-sufficient, as with so many other non-profit organizations, and spare America’s hard-pressed taxpayers the $487 million Planned Parenthood received in public funding.”

Pro-choice advocates blamed the orginal defunding move on Karen Handel, who joined Komen in 2011 as vice president for public policy and had denounced Planned Parenthood during an earlier run for Georgia governor. Mrs. Brinker said in an interview Thursday with MSNBC-TV that Mrs. Handel did not play a significant role in the decision.

Jeanne Monahan, director of the Family Research Council’s Center for Human Dignity, accused Planned Parenthood of bullying Komen into loosening its standards.

“It is truly unbelievable that the nation’s largest abortion provider has been able to take what has been considered one of America’s most well-respected and beloved organizations and demonize it overnight for simply making their grants results-oriented,” said Ms. Monahan.